Olaudah Equiano Influence

Douglass was born a slave in 1817, in Maryland. He educated himself and became determined to escape the horror of slavery. He attempted to escape slavery once, but failed. He later made a successful escape in 1838.

“Let us again face the winds and seas, and swear not, but trust to God, and [H]e will deliver us”. In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, the narrator displayed himself as being spirituality devoted, though he struggled with his faith throughout his narrative of his journey into slavery, as a slave, and as a freed African. As a boy, Olaudah Equiano was kidnaped from his childhood home and forced into the transatlantic slave trade of the sixteenth century. With the influence of several upstanding Christians in Equiano’s life, he felt that Christianity was the appropriate life path to walk. Throughout his life as a slave and then a free man, Equiano frequently questioned himself and his fellow Christians about what it

"I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many; it is true the incidents of it are numerous, and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great; but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favorite of heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life." Olaudah Equiano lived the life as a slave like many black people of the 18th century. He was born free but soon was forced into slavery which took him all around the world. From his accounts he has written down, he shows his life as a slave. Equiano had been bought and sold throughout the Americas and Europe; he showed the

The author, Olaudah Equiano, was born in African Providence of Eboe. Eboe was a small providence of the Kingdom of Benin. Up until 1756, Equiano had never encountered a white individual. In 1756 at the age of 11, Olaudah Equiano and his sister were kidnapped and taken to serve as slaves within Africa. After serving many years as a slave in Africa, he traveled across the continent to the African coast. He was packed into a large vessel with hundreds of other slaves and here his life changing journey out of Africa began.

If it were not for the stories past down from generation to generation or the documentations in historical books, the history of the twelve million African slaves that traveled the “Middle Passage” in miserable conditions would not exist. Olaudah Equiano contributes to this horrid history with The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Through this narrative, the appalling personal experience of each slave is depicted. He accomplishes his rhetorical purpose of informing the world of the slave experience in this narrative. His use of unique style and rhetorical devices in this conveying narrative portray his imperative rhetorical purpose.

Everyone has traits that enables them to overcome adversity and prevail against all odds, whether it be strength, passion, intelligence or perseverance we all have the capability to achieve and survive the unthinkable. Olaudah Equiano possessed many of these personality traits and much more when it came down to his survival during his enslavement. Not only was he able to survive the harsh and dreadful life as a slave but he was able to achieve great accomplishments as a free black man. Even though Olaudah Equiano believed life for a free black was harder than the life of a slave he used his characteristic traits such as obedience, diligence, honesty, and his businessman mindset to help him navigate and get through such times whereas others did not or could not survive. Equiano used his positive personality traits to his advantage in some ways but most importantly he was genuine in his will to survive and become free.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, is a personal autobiography of himself, Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, documenting the hardships of slavery throughout his lifetime. Equiano writes one of the best primary sources from a slave’s perspective and master’s perspective during slavery. Equiano does not hold back on the horrors of what traveling as a slave from West Indies to North America was really like. Olaudah Equiano shares his heart wrenching journey through the brutality of slavery experienced at such young age to him mastering economics and being able to free himself from slavery. Freedom and salvation are reoccurring parallel themes throughout this autobiography. Although Equiano’s story has been questioned

Equiano then travels to America and the West Indies with King Robert. The King allows his friend, Captain Thomas Farmer, to take Equiano as sailor on several of his voyages. On his voyage both King and Farmer accused Equiano of making plan to escape. With time King starts to see trustworthiness and loyalty in Equiano, and promises Equiano money towards his freedom. Equiano makes money by trading goods between ports on the sea. King

The slave trade, yet horrific in it’s inhumanity, became an important aspect of the world’s economy during the eighteenth century. During a time when thousands of Africans were being traded for currency, Olaudah Equiano became one of countless children kidnapped and sold on the black market as a slave. Slavery existed centuries before the birth of Equiano (1745), but strengthened drastically due to an increasing demand for labor in the developing western hemisphere, especially in the Caribbean and Carolinas. Through illogical justification, slave trading became a powerful facet of commerce, regardless of its deliberate mistreatment of human beings by other human beings. Olaudah Equiano was able to overcome this intense

Then, suddenly Olaudah was taken from this home and transported to the slave ship. Aboard the slave ship he was restrained and beaten for refusing food. All the slaves on the ship were living in very close uncomfortable quarters. Some were tied down and those that weren’t were watched very closely so they could not escape. If someone tried to jump off the boat to escape, they were severely punished and beaten. While the ship was at the coast, all the slaves on the ship were forced below deck where the smell of body odor and excrement was breathtaking. Diseases were spread among the slaves in these tight quarters and many slaves died due to the unfit conditions. Once the ship reached Barbados, everyone aboard the ship was forced ashore and into the merchant yard. Here they were sold once again.

In 1745, Olaudah Equiano was born in Eboe, which is now Nigeria. When he was about eleven years old, he was kidnapped and sold to slave traders heading to the West Indies. Though he spent a short time in the state of Virginia, much of his time in slavery was spent serving the captains of slave ships and British navy vessels. One of his masters, Henry Pascal, the captain of a British trading vessel, gave him the name Gustavas Vassa, which he hardly used throughout his life. Paul Lovejoy, Canada Research Chair in African Diaspora History stated:

In the reading selection titled "Writings of Olaudah Equiano and Phillis Whealtey," it tells you that the founding fathers wrote that "all men are created equal." It also says that when they wrote this they weren't thinking about the authors that we have today. They were talking about the authors in their time. The lesson also tells you that "many enslaved Africans were transported like animals across the ocean."(1) Olaudah Equiano just so happened to be one of them that was put through this horror. "Slave traders brought Phillis Wheatley to Boston from West Africa in 1761." (2) At the time, she was only eight years old. She had been purchased by a tailor, John Wheatley. While Phillis was living with John his family had picked up on how smart

Scholars who study The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; or Gustavus Vassa, the African have long held the debate of which name they should refer to him. As Equiano invokes two names for himself throughout his life in his writings. In the majority of his publications, he refers to himself as Gustavus Vassa, the African or the Ethiopian. However, there were a few pieces in which he referred to himself as Olaudah Equiano, such as his autobiography, and Paul E. Lovejoy attempts to determine which name scholars should use to identify him, why they should use it, and why it matters. He discusses the several other names that were used to refer to Equiano throughout his life as a slave, as his name changed as often as his masters

There have been many authors throughout history who have impacted America, amongst them is Olaudah Equiano. Olaudah Equiano, a slave who wrote about his terrible experiences, not only changed America, but changed the world. Equiano 's life and career were divided in two parts: his life as a slave and his life as a free man. He battled the slave ships and helped abolish the slave institutions with the power and depth of his writings.

The narrative by Olaudah Equiano gives an interesting perspective of slavery both within and outside of Africa in the eighteenth century. From these writings we can gain insight into the religion and customs of an African culture. We can also see how developed the system of trade was within Africa, and worldwide by this time. Finally, we hear an insider's view on being enslaved, how slaves were treated in Africa, and what the treatment of African slaves was like at the hands of the Europeans.